(NEWARK, NJ) -- The New Jersey Symphony will present its next family concert, "Hooray for Bollywood!" at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) in Newark, New Jersey on Saturday, May 13. The Symphony, led by conductor Vinay Parameswaran, will be joined by acclaimed South Asian musicians for this performance, including prominent sitar player Indrajit Roy-Chowdhury. The program will also feature new arrangements by award-winning pianist, composer and journalist Charu Suri. The show will also include dynamic dance routines and vocal accompaniments by Indian dance and music students from Kulture Kool showcasing the vibrant and intricate movements of Bollywood choreography.
“This concert is a dream come true for me,” says Archana Athalye, Director of Kulture Kool and host of this performance. “Indian music in all its genres is so rich, sophisticated and expansive and is deeply embedded in the daily lives of not just the South Asian diaspora but many other cultures all over the world. We are delighted to bring the vibrant music of an entire sub-continent in a new and exciting format through this concert.”
This unique performance will feature beloved Bollywood songs from classic films, including “Tere Mere Milan ki Ye Raina” from Abhimaan, as well as popular contemporary hits like “Dholida” from Love Yatri and “Rang De Basanti” from the film of the same name. The audience will take a tour of the musical traditions across the many regions of India and will be transported to the magical world of Bollywood in an afternoon of vibrant and colorful traditions as they witness the fusion of traditional Indian music with Western orchestration.
"We are thrilled to be collaborating with Vinay Parameswaran and Kulture Kool to bring this exciting and unique performance to the stage," said Erin Lunsford Norton, Vice President of Artistic Planning at the New Jersey Symphony. "The fusion of Indian music and Western orchestration is a testament to the power of music to unite people across cultures and borders."
New Jersey Symphony Family Series presented by The Horizon Foundation for New Jersey.
The Emmy and Grammy Award-winning New Jersey Symphony, celebrating its Centennial Season in 2022–23, is redefining what it means to be a nationally leading, relevant orchestra in the 21st century. We are renewing our deeply rooted commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion by championing new, and often local, artists; engaging audiences for whom the inspiring depth and breadth of classical music will be new; and incorporating the broadest possible representation in all aspects of our organization—all to better reflect and serve our vibrant communities. Since 2021, Music Director Xian Zhang has worked together with composer, violinist, educator and social-justice advocate Daniel Bernard Roumain, the orchestra’s resident artistic catalyst, to offer programming that connects with diverse communities in Newark and throughout New Jersey.
Internationally renowned Chinese American conductor Xian Zhang began her tenure as the New Jersey Symphony’s current Music Director in 2016. Since her arrival at the New Jersey Symphony, Zhang has revitalized programming with an industry-leading commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion in mainstage concerts. The centennial season opened in October with concerts featuring Rachmaninoff’s Third Piano Concerto with soloist Yefim Bronfman; Jessie Montgomery’s Banner; Nimbus Dance performing original choreography to Copland’s Appalachian Spring Suite; Strauss’ Burleske for Piano and Orchestra with soloist Michelle Cann; Brahms’ Fourth Symphony; and Dorothy Chang’s Northern Star. The centennial season will conclude in June 2023 with Zhang leading the orchestra and violinist Joshua Bell in Bruch’s Violin Concerto No. 1, Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring and a commissioned world premiere by Daniel Bernard Roumain.
